Cordless electric iron



Aug. 20, 1968 v. A. MARTENS CORDLESS ELECTRIC IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1.966

o WE I Y TT E M 1/... E A R M m 7 m I 4 I A O A I 4 T 2 C 4 N x j V W 3A 3 7 EFF \5 I 4 n \5 w M i2 5 (x 5 g r H 5 H 4 L 0, 1968 v. A. MARTENS 9 CORDLESS ELECTRIC IRON Filed Aug. 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. F VINCENT A. MARTENS BY ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,398,260 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 3,398,260 CORDLESS ELECTRIC IRON Vincent A. Martens, Racine, 'Wis., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Aug. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 575,838 7 Claims. (Cl. 219-247) This invention relates to cordless electric irons and more particularly to an electric iron and stand designed to support the iron when not in use and to conduct heating current to the iron while on the stand.

The main object of the invention is to provide the stand and the iron with current conducting members which permit the iron to be supported on end in any position on the conducting member of the stand. The conducting members are so formed that they permit swivel movement of the iron relatively to the stand when the iron is placed on end with the conducting members in current conducting engagement with each other.

Another object is to provide the conductor member on the iron in such form that the exposed surfaces are flush and the iron may be stored on its heel when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide current conducting members on the iron and stand which ensure self-finding engagement thereof when the iron is placed on its rear end with its conducting member facing the stand conducting member, and which have contact with each other over relatively large surface areas of the current conducting members.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings and following description.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view partly in section of an electric iron and stand embodying my invention, showing the iron on end, with the current conducting members on the iron and stand in engagement with each other.

FIG. 2. is a rear end elevational view of the iron, as viewed from the plane of the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is 'a top plan view of the stand which is part of my invention, as viewed from the plane of the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the circuit employed in the stand and iron.

In that embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the pressing iron comprises a heavy sole plate 11, reservoir holding body 12, and handle 13 connected to the body 12 by a hollow forward post 14 and a rearward post 15. Conventional control members 16 and water inlet means (not shown) are located in the post 14. Within the body 12, above the sole plate 11, are the heating element 17 and thermostat 18.

A current conducting member 20* is attached to the rear end of the iron 10. It comprises an insulating plate 21 generally triangular in form as shown in FIG. 2, having an annular inwardly extending wall 22 terminating in a radially inwardly directed portion 23 which defines a central opening designed to contain a contact carrying block The block 24, of insulating material, has mounted thereon two concentric annular ring-form contacts 25, 26. The contact 25 is larger in diameter than the contact 26. The outer contact 25 is attached to the block 24 at the opposite sides by screws 27. The inner contact 26 is mounted in the block 24, concentric with a central nonelectrical switch actuating contact member 28 which has an exposed end 29 in substantially the same plane as the outer edges of the ring-form contacts 25, 26. The contacts 25 and 26 are connected by leads 30, 31, to the heating element 17 and thermostat 18 within the iron body 12.

As viewed from the rear end of the iron, the current conducting member 20 appears as shown in FIG. 2, the exposed parts being the outer face of the insulating plate 21, the edges of the contacts 25, 26, and the end surface 29 of the central contact 28. There is an annular space 32 between the wall 22 and contact 25, an annular space 33 between the contacts 25 and 26, and an annular space 34 between the contact 26 and the central contact 28. These spaces accommodate the cooperating contacts which are part of the stand about to be described.

The stand 40 or power supply comprises a clamping bracket heaving an upper platform 41, lower clamp support 42, and clamping member 43, 44, for mounting the stand on an ironing board 45. A raised housing 46 on the platform 41 has connected thereto an electrical cord 47 with plug 48 for connection to a source of current. The housing 46 includes an upper wall 49 provided with upwardly and downwardly extending portions 50, 51, respectively. A centrally located switch mechanism is designated 52, with axially movable contact 53. A spring contact 54 or outer contact is connected by screw 55 to one side of the depending portion 51, and a spring contact 56 or inner contact is connected by screw 57 to the opposite side of the portion 51. Contacts 54, 56 and switch 52 are connected to the electrical current source by leads 58, 59.

When the iron 10 is placed on end on the stand 40, the ring contact 25 slides downwardly into the space 60 adjacent the upwardly extending part 50 of the housing 46-, into contact with the spring contact 54, and the ring contact 26 slides into the space 61 into contact with the spring contact 56. Simultaneously, the central contact 28, 29, on the iron, comes into depressing contact with the contact 53 of the switch mechanism 52 of the stand, and thereby closes the normally open switch, the closing being indicated by the glow of the lamp 62. The lamp continues to glow as long as the line cord is connected to the source of power and the iron is positioned on the stand with the contacts 25, 26 and 28 on the iron in contact with the stand contacts 54. 56 and 53, respectively.

The iron may be placed on the stand to engage the conductor members with each other, with its sole facing in any direction, and the iron as a whole may be swiveled about the axis of the conductor member while so placed without interrupting the passage of current to the heating element 17. The sole plate 11 is thick enough to hold heat for a long time, and the heating element is a Calrod of sufficient capacity to heat the sole plate quickly. Due to the annular form of the contacts 25, 26 concentric about the swivel axis, dependable contact is made with the spring contacts 54, 56, without restriction as to the direction in which the iron faces when so positioned.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electric iron assembly which comprises (a) a stand having means for connecting it to a source of electrical current,

(b) a cordless iron having a heating element therein,

(0) a conductor member on one of said iron and stand including an insulating plate, a pair of concentric different-diameter ring-form contacts, and a switch contact concentric with the ring-form contacts mounted in said insulating plate, and

(d) a conductor member on the other of said iron and stand including an insulating plate, a pair of contacts each mounted in the insulating plate to engage one of the ring-form contacts, a switch, and a switch closing contact for engagement with the switch contact of the first conductor member when the iron is placed on end with its conductor member resting on the conductor member of the stand,

(e) the iron and its conductor member being pivotable about the axis of the conduct-or members when said conductor members are in current conducting engagement with each other.

2. An electric iron assembly which comprises (a) a stand having means for connecting it to a source of electrical current,

(b) a cordless iron having a heating element therein,

(c) a conductor member on the rear end of the iron including an insulating plate, a pair of concentric different-diameter ring-form contacts, and a switch contact concentric with the ring-form contacts mounted in said insulating plate, said pair of concentric diflerent-diameter ring-dorm contacts being connected to the heating element, and

(d) a conductor member on the stand including an insulating housing, a pair of contacts each mounted in the housing to engage one of the ring-form contacts on the iron, a switch, and a switch closing contact for engagement with the switch contact on the iron when the iron is placed on end with its conductor member resting on the conductor member of the stand,

(e) the iron and its conductor member being pivotable about the axis of the member when the two conducting members are in current conducting engagement with each other without interrupting the flow of current to the heating element.

3. The electric iron assembly defined by claim 2, in which the pair of contacts mounted in the housing of the conductor member on the stand are spring metal segmental contacts which yieldingly engage side surfaces of the ring-form contacts of the conductor member on the 4. The electric iron assembly defined by claim 2, in

which the exposed surfaces of the conductor member on the iron are the face of the insulating plate, the edges of the ring-form contacts and the end surface on the switch contact, said exposed surfaces being substantially flush with each other and serving to support the iron on its heel when not in use.

5. The electric iron assembly defined by claim 2, in which the insulating housing of the stand is provided with an upper wall which has annular recesses therein in which the conductor member contacts are mounted and for reception of the ring-form contacts of the conductor member of the iron.

6. In combination, an electric iron having a heating element land a power supply, said iron being removably supportable in upright rest position on said power supply to swivel about a substantially vertical axis, each of said iron and power supply having an inner and an outer electric contact, the contacts on said iron being connected to the heating element, means for connecting the contacts on said power supply to a current source, the two inner contacts engaging each other and the two outer contacts engaging each other when the iron is in such rest position, one of said outer contacts being a ring disposed concentrically about the axis.

7. The combination defined by claim 6, in which the power supply is provided with switch means adapted to be actuated by the weight of the iron when the iron is in its upright rest position on said power supply.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,820,877 1/1958 Oates 219259 X RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner.

C. L. ALBRI'ITON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRIC IRON ASSEMBLY WHICH COMPRISES (A) A STAND HAVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING IT TO A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL CURRENT, (B) A CORDLESS IRON HAVING A HEATING ELEMENT THEREIN, (C) A CONDUCTOR MEMBER ON ONE OF SAID IRON AND STAND INCLUDING AN INSULATING PLATE, A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC DIFFERENT-DIAMETER RING-FORM CONTACTS, AND A SWITCH CONTACT CONCENTRIC WITH THE RING-FORM CONTACTS MOUNTED IN SAID INSULATING PLATE, AND (D) A CONDUCTOR MEMBER ON THE OTHER OF SAID IRON AND STAND INCLUDING AN INSULATING PLATE, A PAIR OF CONTACTS EACH MOUNTED IN THE INSULATING PLATE TO ENGAGE ONE OF THE RING-FORM CONTACTS, SWITCH, AND A SWITCH CLOSING CONTACT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SWITCH CONTACT OF THE FIRST CONDUCTOR MEMBER WHEN THE IRON IS PLACED ON END WITH ITS CONDUCTOR MEMBER RESTING ON THE CONDUCTOR MEMBER OF THE STAND, (E) THE IRON AND ITS CONDUCTOR MEMBER BEING PIVOTABLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE CONDUCTOR MEMBERS WHEN SAID CONDUCTOR MEMBERS ARE IN CURRENT CONDUCTING ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER. 